Standing Seam Panel Clip With Sealant Encapsulation Chambers

ABSTRACT

A standing seam assembly in which a male sidelap extending from a panel has a male leg member, a female sidelap extending from a second panel has a female leg member shaped to fit over the male leg member. Sealant is supported over a clip that connects the male and female sidelaps to underlying support structure, the clip forming upper and lower sealant chambers. The sealant is disposed in the upper and lower sealant chambers in the assembled mode to encapsulate the clip, the clip has a clip tab engaging the male and female leg members, the clip tab has a clip inclined portion with a sealant flow hole cooperating with the male and female leg members so that the clip inclined portion forms the upper and lower sealant chambers.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser.No. 12/188,883 filed Aug. 8, 2008 entitled, “Standing Seam Panel Clips,”which is a continuation to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/028,994filed Dec. 30, 2004 entitled, “Standing Seam Panel Clips,” nowabandoned, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No.60/533,832 filed Dec. 31, 2003, entitled Standing Seam Panel Clips.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to pre-engineered building construction,and more particularly but not by way of limitation, to improvements instanding seam panel clips for the metal roof industry.

2. Discussion

Standing seam roofs have become the most popular metal roofing assemblydue mainly to the avoidance of panel penetration when securing roofingpanels to underlying building support structures. Also, since the outersurfaces of a metal roofing assembly are directly exposed to a widevariety of weather conditions, standing seam roofs utilize connectorsthat provide for expansion and contraction of metal roof panels.

To eliminate or minimize the use of “through fasteners” (fasteners thatpenetrate the panels to attach them to supporting structure), standingseam metal roofs are secured to the support structure by non-penetratingclip connectors, and the sidelap joints of the standing seam metal roofpanels and attaching fasteners are joined together, usually by a seamingprocess.

The type of seaming utilized will vary depending on the panel design. Insome cases, such as in the case of simple interlocking panelarrangements, seam joinder is accomplished by snapping the panelstogether. In more complex designs, the seaming process will involvepressing the panel sidelaps together to initially interlock the sidelapsas the panels are positioned on the building roof support structures(typically purlins), following which seaming of the joint is achieved byeither: (1) a seaming implement or machine that elastically joins thesidelaps; or (2) by a seaming implement or machine that inelasticallyforming (i.e., by bending and folding) the sidelaps into the standingseam assembly.

Non-penetrating clips that connect roof panels to underlying buildingsupport structure (such as purlins) are connected between overlappingpanel sidelaps prior to joining and seaming. Panel clip connectorsattach the roof to the building structure in the installed position,stabilizing and bracing the roof from environmental factors, such as theuplift forces of a strong wind. The clips also stabilize and brace thesupport structure, and provide for expansion and contraction of the roofpanels as temperature gradients are imposed on the roof members and theunderlying building structurals.

To secure roof panels to the underlying support structure, clipstypically have tabs designed to be disposed within the panel seam. Suchclip tabs are generally shaped as required by the particular shape ofthe panel design. Because most panels have unique shapes, each clipmodel is configured for a particular panel shape to which it is to beconnected. One important requirement for such clip tabs is that awatertight seal be maintained about the clip tabs in the finally formedstanding seam assembly.

Water tightness is usually achieved by a factory applied bead of sealantdisposed on the under side of the female sidelap. As adjacent panelsidelaps are seamed, the sealant material is pressed against the topside of the male sidelap to form a watertight dam, preventing water andair from moving between the two sidelaps in the final seam assembly. Atthe locations where clip tabs are interposed between the male and femalesidelaps, such clip tabs prevent the sealant on the female sidelap fromcontacting the male sidelap, with the female sidelap carried sealantinstead being pressed against the tops of the clip tabs at thoselocations.

That is, as the sealant is compressed to flow toward the male at theclip locations, the sealant must flow around the clip tabs. Whileencapsulation of the clip tabs is desired, what happens in practice isthat the sealant flow at the clip tabs results in gaps in the sealantbetween the under side of the clip tab and the top of the male sideseam. It has been well verified that, because of these gaps, voids andsealant discontinuities, water and air can migrate between the underside of the panel clip tabs and the top side of the male sidelap. Intime, this condition will deteriorate the sealing further (such as waterfreezing, roof leaks, etc.), leading to building leaks and diminishedroof panel life.

Past attempts at preventing this condition have included such measuresas a factory applied sealant on the underside of each clip tab thataligns with the sealant on the underside of the female sidelap when theclip tab. This sealant on the clip tab is positioned to generally alignwith the female sidelap carried sealant when the components of thestanding seam assembly are assembled. To assure water tightness, thesealant on the female sidelap and on the clip tab, when joined andseamed, must form a continuous seal; this requires that the sealant onthe clip tab extend past the tab edges in order to contact the sealanton the female sidelap during sealing. The purpose is to achieveencapsulation of the clip tab and to assure the integrity of theresultant seal between the male and female sidelaps when the seam isformed. However, tests have shown that this approach is less thantotally successful, as for many reasons, the continuity of the sealantis far from perfect, there continuing to be some discontinuities in thesealant along the length of the standing seam assembly near thelocations of the clips.

Furthermore, although an improvement in providing a continuingwatertight seal, the placement of a sealant on the clip tab is costly inmaterial and labor because a separate manufacturing step is requiredafter the final clip forming operation. This means that a separate linemust be provided, and that additional handling of the clips is required.

Some manufacturers have attempted to eliminate the clip sealant bydesigning a clip with perforations, or holes, in the clip tab, thepurpose being to allow the sealant on the female sidelap to flow throughthe tab perforations onto the male sidelap during seaming. This has metwith only limited success because the sealant flow through suchperforations during seaming has not been consistent to a degreenecessary to assure watertight integrity of the seal along the totallength of the panel seam, as it has been shown that gaps anddiscontinuities frequently occur between the stream of sealant extrudedthrough the holes and the sealant extruded around the edges of theclips.

There is therefore a need for a clip design that assures completesealant encapsulation of the clip tabs with the seaming of a standingseam panel assembly. Preferably, as well, such design would makeunnecessary having a sealant pre-applied to the clip tabs prior toinstallation; that is, complete encapsulation of the clip tabs will beachieved by only the sealant carried by at least one of the panelsidelaps during sealing thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an improved standing seam roof assemblyin which roof panels are supported by underlying support structure inoverlapping edge relationship. A male sidelap extends from a first sideedge of the panels and a female sidelap extends from the opposing secondside edge of each panel. The male sidelap has a male leg member and thefemale sidelap has a female leg member shaped to fit over the male legmember and to be seamed together.

A sealant bead is supported on the underside of the female leg memberand is disposed to sealingly contact the top side of the male legmember. A clip member having a clip leg member shaped to fit over themale leg member is seamed with the male and female leg members toconnect the standing seam assembly to an underlying roof supportstructure in the assembled mode. The clip leg member has a clip inclinedportion with a sealant flow hole, and the clip leg member cooperateswith the male leg member and the female leg member to form a lowersealant chamber and an upper sealant chamber along the clip leg member;the sealant flow hole communicates between the upper sealant chamber andthe lower sealant chamber, and the sealant is extruded and distributedin the upper and lower sealant chambers to encapsulate a portion of theclip leg member.

The advantages and features of the present invention will becomeapparent when the following detailed description is read in conjunctionwith the drawings and appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an elevational end view of a female sidelap member constructedin accordance with the present invention and having a sealant adhered tothe underside of the female sidelap.

FIG. 2 is an elevational end view of a corresponding configured malesidelap member constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an end, cross-sectional view of a standing seam assemblyhaving joined together female and male sidelaps of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is an end, partially cutaway, cross-sectional view of a clipmember also constructed in accordance with the present invention andconfigured to connect to the standing seam assembly of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a view of the standing seam assembly of FIG. 3 after beinginelastically seamed by a seaming tool/machine.

FIG. 6 is a perspective, partial view the clip member of FIG. 4 hookedover the male sidelap of FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of one end edge portion of the clip of FIG. 6showing the notch therein.

FIG. 8 shows a sectional view of a cut longitudinally through the top ofjoined male and female sidelap members of FIGS. 1 and 2 and illustratingthe sealant flow through sealant flow holes in the clip member of FIG. 4when the attached clip member is square ended.

FIG. 9 is a view similar to that of FIG. 8 but with the clip memberconstructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIGS. 10 through 12 depict the components of another embodiment of astanding seam assembly constructed in accordance with the presentinvention.

FIGS. 13 through 15 depict the components of yet one more embodiment ofa standing seam assembly constructed in accordance with the presentinvention.

FIG. 16 is an isometric view of the clip of FIG. 4.

FIG. 17 is an isometric top view of the base portion of the clip of FIG.4.

FIG. 18 is an isometric bottom view of the base portion of the clip ofFIG. 4.

FIG. 19 is a partial, elevational view of the clip of FIG. 4 attached toa supporting purlin member.

FIG. 20 is an elevational view of a female sidelap member constructed inaccordance with the present invention

FIG. 21 shows a partially cutaway, cross-sectional, elevational end viewof a clip member constructed in accordance with the present inventionand configured for elastic joinder with the female sidelap of FIG. 20.

FIG. 22 is an assembled, elastically seamed standing seam assemblyhaving the clip member of FIG. 21, the female sidelap of FIG. 20 and amale sidelap constructed in accordance with the present invention toform another embodiment of the standing seam assembly of the presentinvention.

FIGS. 23 through 26 illustrate the typical, state of the art elasticallyseamed standing seam assembly components that are typically are referredto as a snap-together seam.

FIGS. 37 through 30 illustrate an alternate adaptation of the presentinvention utilizing only one sealant chamber and incorporating sealantboth on the underside of the female sidelap and the clip member.

FIGS. 31 and 32 show yet another embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION

Referring to the drawings in general, and particularly to FIG. 1, showntherein is a female sidelap 10 formed along one longitudinal edge of apanel 12 of the kind used in multiple units to form the roof of abuilding structure, such as a pre-engineered metal building. Shown inFIG. 2 is a male sidelap 14 formed along the opposite side edge of thepanel 12.

FIG. 3 shows a standing seam assembly 16 that is formed when the malesidelap 14 of a side-adjacent panel 12A is inserted into the femalesidelap 10 of the panel 12. It will be understood the roof containingthe panels 12 and 12A will have a series of like panels positioned inside-adjacent juxtaposition on supporting structures, such as purlins,with the side edges being formed into standing seams like the standingseam assembly 16 depicted in FIG. 3. Each such panel used in forming theroof will have one side edge formed in the shape of the female sidelap10 along one longitudinal edge, and will have its opposite side edgeformed in the shape of the male sidelap 14 along the oppositelongitudinal edge. The female sidelap of one panel will be joined withthe male sidelap of an adjacently disposed panel to form the standingseam assembly 16.

FIG. 4 shows a clip member 18 that hooks over the male sidelap 14 ofpanel 12A before the male sidelap 14 is inserted into the female sidelap10 of the panel 12 to form the standing seam panel assembly 16. The clip18 has a clip tab 20 that is formed to permit sealant passage therethrough; further, the clip 18 has a first leg member 22, preferablyextending generally perpendicular to the medial portion of panel 12A; aclip second leg member 24 extending angularly from the first leg member22 at a clip apex radius portion 26; and a third leg member 28 extendingangularly from the clip second leg member 24 at a clip intermediateradius portion 30. In the embodiment shown, the clip 18 has a fourth legmember 32 extending angularly from the third leg member 28 at the clipdistal radius portion 34 and generally toward the aforementionedportions of the clip 18.

The medial portion of the clip second leg member 24 of the clip 18 iscrimped to form an angularly clip first inclined portion 35 and a clipsecond inclined portion 36, the clip second inclined portion 36 beingperforated to have a plurality of sealant flow holes 38. The clipsealant flow holes 38 can be regular in shape (such as slots or circularholes) or irregular in shape, and the clip sealant flow holes 38 can bespaced uniformly or non-uniformly down and across the clip inclinedportion 36, to accommodate different sealant flow rates there through soas to achieve encapsulation of the clip tab 20 to form a water tightseal.

Returning to FIG. 1, the underside of the female sidelap 10 has a beadof sealant 40 that extends along the length of the sidelap edge of thepanel 12. The sealant 40 is preferably factory-installed, but asappropriate, can be field installed prior to assembly. It will beunderstood that several of the clips 18 will be hooked at intervalsalong the length of the male sidelap 14, and once in place, the femalesidelap 10 will be positioned over the male sidelap 14 and the clips 18in the manner illustrated in FIG. 3. In this position, it will beunderstood that the location of the sealant bead 40 on the femalesidelap 10 will be determined such as to generally align with the clipinclined portion 36, and thus, with the sealant flow holes 38 of theclips 18.

During initial assembly of the standing seam assembly 16, as the femalesidelap 10 is joined with the male sidelap 14 with the clips 18 hookedthere over, the assembly process forces, or extrudes, the sealant 40through the sealant flow holes 38 in the clip inclined portion 36 of theclip 18 into a lower sealant chamber 42 formed between the clip inclinedportion 36 and the male sidelap 14, as shown in FIG. 3. A portion of thesealant 40 will flow longitudinally along the lower sealant chamber 42for the length of clip tab 20.

FIG. 3 depicts the components following the initial assembly of thestanding seam assembly 16, that is, before any seam forming, or seamrolling, has been performed. It will be noted that the weight of thefemale sidelap 14 borne by the sealant bead 40 will cause it to deformfrom its initial shape depicted in FIG. 1 to assume a first compressedsealant shape 44 (shown in FIG. 3), a portion of the sealant 40 beingforced to flow into an upper cavity or upper sealant chamber 46, formedbetween the under surface of the female sidelap 10 and the upper surfaceof the clip inclined portion 36. And, as noted, a portion of the sealant40 will be forced to flow into the lower sealant chamber 42, effectivelysealing the male and female sidelaps between the locations of the clipmembers 18.

FIG. 5 illustrates one possible final shape of the standing seamassembly 14 at the locations of the clip members 18 after the male andfemale sidelaps have been formed by a sealing tool/machine, such sealingtool/machine being conventional except for the shape achieved by theparticular dies at hand, as will be understood by one skilled in theart. The sealant 40, flowing under compressive force, flows from theupper sealant chamber 46 through the sealant flow holes 38 to the lowersealant chamber 42 and around the end edges of the clip tab 20. Thiswill be further described below with reference to FIGS. 6 through 9. Itwill be understood that the male and female members 14, 10 can be: (1)continuously seamed (by the aforementioned sealing tool/machine) betweenthe locations of the clip members 18, including at the locations of theclip members 18; (2) seamed (by the sealing tool/machine) only at thelocations of the clip members 18; or (3) any combination of (1) and (2)intermittently as may be desired.

It will be noted that the lower sealant chamber 42 and the upper sealantchamber 46 have cross sectional profiles that are generally triangularlyshaped. The sealant chambers 42, 46 are protected from collapse by thecrimped clip first inclined portion 35, and further, by a crimped dimpleportion 48 formed between one end of the clip first inclined portion 35and the clip apex radius portion 26 (between the clip first leg member22 and the clip second leg member 24) as shown in FIG. 4.

It should also be noted that the angle of incline 37 of the morevertical clip first inclined portion 35 may be varied to adjust theresistance to collapse of the lower sealant chamber 42 and the uppersealant chamber 46, as well as the amount of spring back occurring. Themore vertical the position of the clip first inclined portion 35, thegreater the resistance to collapse and the less spring back that willoccur, unless the clip first inclined portion 35 is eliminatedaltogether. It should also be noted that the angle of incline of theclip second inclined portion 36 may be varied to increase or decreasethe distance between the clip apex radius portion 26 and the clipintermediate radius portion 30 to accommodate different panel shapes.

The triangular profiles of the sealant chambers 42, 46 result in sealantcavities in which the sealant is significantly thicker than thatachieved by conventional clip to panel configurations in which thesurface contact does not provide such sealant cavities. The benefit ofthe sealant thickness achieved by the present invention becomes apparentto one skilled in the art when considering the phenomena of metal“spring back.” As the sidelap seam is formed by the sealingtool/machine, the lower sealant chamber 42 and the upper sealant chamber46 are slightly compressed and the metal will have a certain amount ofmetal spring back to its pre-seamed condition, and a thicker bead ofsealant, such as in the sealant chambers 42 and 46, will provide agreater elastic length so that a set limit on unit elasticity canaccommodate a greater overall movement without failure to betteraccommodate and compensate for the spring back and compression duringseaming.

Seaming pressure and metal spring back will cause the seam cavities toclose and then open somewhat, and the greater thickness of the sealantbead in the sealant chambers 42, 46 insures that the sealant is notbroken or displaced during the seaming process. Rather, when the springback occurs, allowing some separation of the female sidelap 10, the malesidelap 14 and the clip tab 20, the sealant 40 prevents creation ofwater flow paths between the seam components, thereby substantiallyeliminating potential leaks. Thus, the sealant bead 40 adhered to, andcarried by, the underside of the female sidelap 10, forms a watertightbarrier between the female sidelap 10 and the male sidelap 14 even atclip locations.

FIG. 3 depicts the relation of the components during the initialassembly of the male sidelap 14, the female sidelap 10 and the clipmember 18, and it should be noted that only the upper portion of theclip 18 is shown in this view, the lower portion being configured toattach to underlying support structure of the building on which thepanel members are installed.

The dimple portion 48 of the clip 18 supports the clip second inclinedportion 36 above the male second leg member 72 of the male sidelap 14 toform the sealant chamber 42. That is, the sealant chamber 42 ispositioned between the clip intermediate radius portion 30 and thedimple 48, and the lower sealant chamber 42 is formed by the uppersurface of the male second leg member 72 of the male sidelap 14. Thesealant flow holes 38 that communicate with the lower sealant chamber 42can vary in number and can be of various shapes and sizes depending onthe clip tab tooling requirements and the sealant flow characteristics,including durometer, surface tension, etc.

The upper sealant chamber 46 is formed between the underside of thefemale second leg member 52 of the female sidelap 10 and the uppersurface of the clip second inclined portion 36 at each clip location, asdepicted in FIGS. 3-5. As the female sidelap 10 is positioned over theclip member 14 and the male sidelap 14, a portion of the sealant 40 iscaused to flow by compression thereof, assuming the first compressedshape 44 shown in FIG. 3. This partial compression causes the sealant toflow along the upper sealant chamber 46 of the clip tab 20 and throughsealant flow holes 38 in the clip tab 14. Preferably, the sealant flowholes 38 are spaced at appropriate longitudinal intervals along the cliptab 20 in a staggered lateral pattern, so as to help assure a portion ofthe sealant flows into the lower sealant chamber 42.

Returning to FIG. 1, it will be noted that the female sidelap 10 has afemale first leg member 50 preferably extending generallyperpendicularly to the medial portion of the panel 12; a female secondleg member 52 extending angularly from the female first leg member 50 ata female apex radius 54; a female third leg member 56 extendingangularly from the female second leg member 52 at an intermediate femaleradius portion 58; and a female fourth leg member 60 extending angularlyfrom a distal female radius portion 62.

In FIG. 2, the male sidelap 10 has a male first leg member 70 preferablyextending generally perpendicularly to the medial portion of the panel12; a male second leg member 72 extending angularly from the male firstleg member 70 at a male apex radius 74; and a male third leg member 76extending angularly from the male second leg member 72 at a maleintermediate radius portion 78.

As shown in FIG. 5, after the standing seam assembly 16 has beeninelastically seamed and the seaming process has formed the componentsinto the shape shown, the components of the female sidelap 10, thefemale apex radius portion 54, the female intermediate radius portion 58and the female distal radius portion 62, are stretched and tightlycompressed against the components of the clip 18: the clip apex radiusportion 26, the clip intermediate radius portion 30 and the clip distalradius portion 34, respectively.

The inelastic seaming of the standing seam assembly 16 has caused apartial closure of the upper sealant chamber 46 between the clipintermediate radius portion 30 and the female intermediate radiusportion 58 of the female sidelap 10 along the upper surface of the clipsecond inclined portion 36, as shown. Thus, the upper sealant chamber 46is formed by the underside of the female sidelap 10 and the top surfaceof the clip member 18, including at least partially around theintermediate radius portion 30. The seam forming process reduces thevolume area in which the sealant 40 was disposed following the initialextruding force that was exerted (as discussed above for FIG. 3) bypartially bearing the weight of the female sidelap 10, thus creating anadditional second surge of extruding force that further forces sealantin the upper chamber 46 through the sealant flow holes 38 into the lowersealant chamber 42 where the sealant 40 is caused to travellongitudinally along the lower sealant chamber 42 to seal along the topof the male second leg member 72.

The upper sealant chamber 46 which forms a dam against the underside ofthe female second leg portion 52 of the female sidelap 10, and sealant40 in the upper sealant chamber 46, being compressed by the seamingprocess, causes a portion of the sealant 40 to flow toward the clipintermediate radius portion 30 of the clip 18 and out and over the clipfirst and second end edges 80, 82 (see FIG. 8). However, the sealant 40is prevented from freely flowing past the clip intermediate radiusportion 30, since the female intermediate radius portion 58 and the clipintermediate radius portion 30 are stretched together to prevent furtherpassage of sealant. Thus, the interference created from seamingcompression of the female sidelap 10 over the clip member 18 will causepart of the sealant 40 in the upper sealant chamber 46 to extend alongthe width and length of the clip tab 20, joining with the portion ofsealant 40 that is pressed through the sealant flow holes 38 into thelower sealant chamber 42, to seal around the end edges and ends of theclip 18. With the sidelaps 10, 12 inelastically formed into the shapeshown, the applied compressive forces cause the sealant 40 toessentially encapsulate the clip inclined portion 36.

Turning now to FIGS. 6 and 7, illustrated therein is a portion of theclip 18 showing further details of the clip inclined portion 36 of theclip second leg member 24. In FIG. 6 the clip 18 is hooked over the malesidelap 14 prior to installation of the female sidelap 10. FIG. 7, whichshows the clip 18 having a clip first end edge 80 and a clip second endedge 82, is provided as the best view to describe the notching of theclip ends. The clip end edges 80, 82 of the top portion of the clip tab20 have tapered notches 84, and the notches 84 preferably are smooth andgenerally free of burring, having coined notch portions 85.

Reference will now be made to FIGS. 8 and 9 to illustrate the purpose ofthe notches 84 of FIGS. 6 and 7, having coined notch portions 85, asthese tapered, smooth edges assure integrity and achieve continuity ofthe sealant 40 at the locations of the clip members 18 in the standingseam assembly 16. FIG. 8 is a sectional view cut longitudinally throughthe standing seam assembly 16 at the sealant flow holes 38 in the clipsecond inclined portion 36 of the clip member 18. This view illustratesthe sealant 40 in the upper and lower sealant chambers 46, 42 at a panelclip location. However, in FIG. 8, instead of having the preferrednotched ends 80, 82, the clip 18 is depicted as though the clip 18 has asquare cut end 80A; that is, the end 80 of the clip member 18 will beconsidered momentarily as not having tapered, notched ends.

Thus, FIG. 8 depicts what can be expected when the sidelaps 10 and 14have been seamed with the clip 18 having square formed ends, with thesealant 40 having been forced to flow into the upper and lower sealantchambers 46, 42, as previously described. Also, the sealant 40 on theunderside of the female second leg member 52 of the female sidelap 10has joined with the sealant on top of the male second leg member 72 ofthe male sidelap 14 along the seam joint; and, a portion of sealant 40that flowed through the sealant flow holes 38 into the lower sealantchamber 42 has been extruded out and around the clip square cut end 80A.

Both the sealant 40 above the clip tab 20 and the portion of the sealant40 extruded into the sealant chamber 42 in FIG. 8 are united at asealant boundary line 86. However, because there is much less extrudingforce exerted at the ends of the clip 18 (due to the greater crosssection there) and due to the inability of the sealant to flowvertically down due to its flow characteristics (viscosity, cohesion,adhesion, etc.) or to flow upwardly up the square cut end 80A, bothsealant portions join at the sealant contact line 86. As the compressedsealant portions (that flowing out the end of the lower sealant chamber42 and that flowing out the end of the upper sealant chamber 46), asealant void 88 is created, disrupting the integrity of the sealant andproviding unwanted voids that lead to fissures in the sealant andpotential water leakage routes.

FIG. 9, on the other hand, illustrates what happens to the sealant 40when the clip member 18, rather than having square cut ends, is providedwith the tapered end notches 84 as described with reference to FIGS. 6and 7 above. This inventive configuration at the ends of clip tab 20allows the sealant 40 above the clip tab 20 (in the upper sealantchamber 46) and the sealant below the clip tab 20 (in the lower sealantchamber 42) to merge at the boundary line 86A without a sealant void.That is, this feature assures that the sealant 40 compressed to fill thelower sealant chamber 42 and the upper sealant chamber 46 will unite atthe boundary line 86A to provide continuity of the watertight seal,assuring seal integrity continuously along the entire length of theseam. The reason for this is that, in FIG. 8, the inner surface of thenotch is located away from the end of the clip 18 where the sealant iscompressing and forced flow of the sealant is occurring.

The sealant flow holes 38 in FIGS. 6 and 7 are shown in a staggeredpattern, with some of the holes centered on a longitudinal axis A andsome holes centered on a longitudinal axis B, and it will be appreciatedthat the flow holes can be staggered as may be required when a greateralignment tolerance between the flow holes 38 and sealant 40 is desired,thereby facilitating adequate flow of the sealant 40 into the lowersealant chamber 42. Depending on the dimensions, this can be useful inassuring a uniform water entry prevention dam, and such staggered holepattern will accommodate greater location tolerances for the placementof the sealant 40 on the underside of female sidelap 10 and for thedimensions of the clip member 18.

FIGS. 10 through 12 depict another embodiment of the present inventionin which a female sidelap 10A, a male sidelap 14A and a clip 18A aredepicted as forming a standing seam assembly 16A. Where the componentparts are the same as those described herein above for the standing seamassembly 16, identical component numbers are depicted. Furtherdescription is not believed necessary as the purpose of including FIGS.10-12 is to illustrate that the present invention can be incorporated inother embodiment shapes of the finally formed standing seam assembly,and the above description for the standing seam assembly 16 isincorporated by reference to that of the standing seam assembly 16A.

FIGS. 13 through 15 depict another embodiment of the present inventionin which a female sidelap 10B, a male sidelap 14B and a clip 18B aredepicted as forming yet another standing seam assembly 16B. Where thecomponent parts are the same as those described herein above for thestanding seam assembly 16, identical component numbers are depicted.Further description is not believed necessary as the purpose ofincluding FIGS. 13 through 15 is to illustrate that the presentinvention can be incorporated in other embodiment shapes of the finallyformed standing seam assembly, and the above description for thestanding seam assembly 16 is incorporated by reference to that of thestanding seam assembly 16B.

Turning to another beneficial attribute, it should be noted that theclip member 18, described above, can provide added stabilization for theroof purlins of a building structure. As will be appreciated by oneskilled in the art of metal panel roofs, a purlin load force can cause atranslation or rotation of a zee or a cee purlin. The panel clip can bedesigned to resist a portion of such force tending to cause the purlinsto translate or rotate by transferring a portion of the force requiredto resist such movement through the clip to the seam of a standing seampanel assembly of the type discussed herein where it is then transferredto other portions of the building structure.

The clip members of a standing seam panel roof are usually installedover a blanket insulation of from 2 to 6 inches in thickness placed overthe supporting roof purlins. When the base of the clip members areattached to the roof purlins, this blanket insulation will becompressed, the amount of such compression depending on the thicknessand type of insulation and the compressive force placed on theinsulation, unless means are incorporated in the clip base to prevent orlimit the compression of the blanket insulation.

This compressibility of blanket insulation can permit clip bases tomove, or rock, on the purlin surfaces, and this in turn allows thepurlins to rotate, thus reducing the purlin load carrying capacity. Theclip base of the invention has rigid penetrating clip base support feetspaced laterally apart. These feet concentrate the compressive forceover a small area so the feet compress the insulation to the point whereit is virtually solid and the clip base will not rock.

FIGS. 16 through 19 show the clip member 18 that has been described inpart herein above. As shown, the clip 18 has a clip body 90 having anupstanding clip first leg member 22 and a clip base 92, the clip body 90slidably connected to the clip base 92. This sliding movement is themeans whereby the roof panels are permitted to expand and contract withgradient temperature changes between the roof panels the supportpurlins. Thus, differential movement between the clip tab 20 and thestanding seam assemblies 16 is prevented, with differential movementbetween the purlin and the panels is compensated for by the clip 18sliding in its base 92.

As will be noted in FIGS. 16-18, the clip base 92 has a web portion 94that folds back under the upstanding clip first leg member 22 of theclip body 90, the web portion 94 having several base clearance holes 96.The clip base 92 has a plurality of clip fastener holes 98 equal innumber to the base clearance holes 96 and each clip fastener holes 98having a vertical axis coincident with one of the base clearance holes96 so that clip fasteners 100 can pass there through to attach the clipbase 92 to a supporting purlin 102 (as shown in FIG. 19).

The clip fasteners 100 are purposefully established in a line that isparallel (as opposed to perpendicular) to the clip tab 20 of the clip18, as this is advantageous in resisting forces on the clip tab 20. Thatis, the force exerted by wind uplift load on the roof panels aretransferred through the clip tab 20 to the clip base 92; this force isin turn transferred substantially equally to the clip fasteners 100,allowing these multiple fasteners to share equally the force loadreceived by the clip base 92. If the clip fasteners 100 were positionedalong a line substantially perpendicular to the clip tab 20, as is thecase in prior art structures, a preponderance of the transferred forcewould first go to the clip fastener 100 closest to the clip tab. Oncethe closest fastener failed, all the transferred force would then betransferred to the next fastener in line, which would be subject tofailure at substantially the same load as the closest fastener had been,the only practical purpose thus being served by the most distantfasteners would be that of backup to failure of the other closerfasteners. It will be appreciated that the holding force of the clip 18is increased when all the fasteners 100 share portions of thetransferred load and work together, being loaded equally.

FIGS. 17 and 18 provide further details of construction of the clip base92. The area around the fastener holes 98 is reinforced by stiffeninglips 104 that are formed along the sides and adjacent to where thefastener holes 98 are disposed. The stiffening lips 104 reinforce theclip base 92 to receive the uplift load transferred from the clip tab 20and transferred to the clip fasteners 100.

The web portion 94 folds over itself to form a clip retaining tongue106, and the bottom portion of the clip first leg member 22 is foldedinto a groove forming, base connector portion 108 that receives the clipretaining tongue 106. This permits the clip body 90 to slide relative tothe clip base 92, with appropriate limiting stops being provided torestrict the total movement allowed, such as the tab and slot stop 110(other stops can be provided as well along the base connector 108).

The clip base 92 has a plurality of bearing tabs or feet 112. Thebearing tabs 112 are spaced about the bottom of the clip base 92 andserve to penetrate and embed the underlying blanket insulation so as tocompress the insulation under them; this serves to place the support ofthe clip base 92 and its load substantially directly on the purlin 102.This is depicted in FIG. 19 where the clip base 92 has been placed overa compressible fiber glass blanket insulation 114; the clip fasteners100 have penetrated the purlin 102 and have been tightened to drive thebearing tabs 112 to compress the insulation 114 so that the clip base 92is substantially mounted right against the upper surface of the flangeof the purlin 102.

This provides a solid foundation for the clip base 92 on the purlin 102,as the bearing tabs 112 of the clip base 92 bear substantially directlyagainst the purlin 102, reducing the amount of further compression ofthe insulation 114 and preventing lateral and longitudinal rocking ofthe clip base 92 in relation to the purlin 102.

A downward load on the roof panels will attempt to translate or rotatethe roof purlin 102. As the roof purlin 102 tends to move, the roofpanels by attachment to the clips 18 tend to resist the movement of theroof purlin 102. Without the bearing feet 112, there would remain somecompressibility of the insulation 114 under the clip base 92, and theclip base in relation to the purlin flange could be rotated by the cliploading; this would tend to rotate clip base relative to the supportingpurlin, resulting in applying substantially a point load through theinsulation 114. This would further compress the insulation 114 until theinsulation would compress no further, and in effect, the toe end of theclip base would bear directly on the roof purlin 102, at which point theload capacity of the purlin would have been compromised because it hadbeen allowed to rotate in relation to the clip base.

Resisting purlin rotation, such as that which occurs in the previouslyknown art, is achieved by the aforementioned transfer of load moredirectly to the supporting purlin flange. Stated simply, purlin rotationdoes not take place with the clip 18 until the purlin has rotated anamount that significantly reduces its ability to resist load.

In the present invention, the bearing feet 112 concentrate the totalforce exerted by the attachment fasteners 100 on the bearing feet 112,resulting in a more concentrated compression of the insulation 114 underthe bearing feet 112 to the point the insulation cannot be compressedfurther by any significant amount, thus resisting any rotation of theclip base 92 in relation to the purlin flange. In effect, this causesthe insulation 114 under the bearing feet 112 to provide a substantiallysolid base. The compressed insulation 114 therefore bears substantiallydirectly on the roof purlin 102, so that as the roof purlin 102 tries torotate as loading occurs, the load is immediately transferred to theroof panels through clip tab 20 and the clip base 92 which has closetolerance between it and the clip base 92 to resist purlin rotationbefore the roof purlin 102 has rotated to any significant degree. Thisimmediate transfer of load allows the roof panels supported by the clips18 to provide greater structural stability to the purlin.

The present invention assures complete sealant encapsulation of the cliptab of a clip connecting a standing seam assembly to underlying buildingstructure, resulting in a more reliable watertightness seal throughoutthe complete length of the seams interconnecting metal building panels.Clip tab sealant encapsulation is accomplished by utilizing only asingle sealant bead, preferably applied to the female sidelap, but itwill be appreciated that the principles taught herein can as well befollowed by applying the sealant to the top side of the male sidelap.Thus, the sealant can be automatically and economically applied to thefull length of panels utilized to form a roof or a siding for suchstructures as pre-engineered metal buildings.

As will is clear from the above description of preferred embodiments ofthe invention, seam water tightness is accomplished by extruding thesealant through sealant extrusion holes in a clip tab into a sealantdistributor channel created over and under the clip tab and over theupper surface of the male sidelap. The result is a continuous sealantdam between the male and female sidelaps having greater water tightnessthan that of the previous art while maintaining other desirablefeatures, such as strength and aesthetic qualities. The location of thesealant on the female sidelap is coordinated with, and complementary to,the location of the sealant extrusion holes in the clip tabs.

The end edges of the each clip tab is provided with a sealant transitionnotch that is configured to channel the sealant on the female sidelap insuch a manner as to form a continuous seal at the edges of the clip tab.That is, the ridges and valleys adjacent to the sealant transfer holescause the sealant extruded through the sealant extrusion holes to form acontinuous and effective water entry prevention dam. The clip tabnotches can be provided with coined or configured edges, and as well,the clip sealant transfer holes can also be coined to assure evensealant flow, avoiding voids or channels through the sealant dam.

Staggering, or axially offsetting, the sealant extrusion holes creates agreater dimensional tolerance through which the sealant on the femalesidelap can flow, helping to assure a uniform sealant dam. This alsoprovides greater location tolerances for location of the sealant and thesealant extrusion holes, while also providing increased field assemblytolerances.

Turning now to FIGS. 20 through 22, presented therein is anotherembodiment of the present invention in which a female sidelap 10C, amale sidelap 14C and a clip member 18C are depicted as forming astanding seam assembly 16C. Where the component parts are the same asthose described herein above, identical component numbers are used inthe subject drawings. Further description is believed to be unneeded asthe purpose of including FIGS. 20-22 is to illustrate that the presentinvention can be incorporated in other embodiment shapes of the finallyformed standing seam assembly, and the description provided hereinabovefor the standing seam assembly 16 is incorporated here by reference forthe standing seam assembly 16C. It will be noted that the mechanism fordistribution of the sealant 40 is the same as that for initial assemblyof the standing seam assembly 16; that is, the standing seam assembly16C of FIG. 22 is elastically seamed and is commonly referred to as asnap-together seam.

FIG. 20 displays an elevational view of a female sidelap member 10Cconstructed in accordance with the present invention and having asealant adhered to the underside of the female sidelap. FIG. 21 shows apartially cutaway, cross-sectional, elevational end view of a clipmember 18C constructed in accordance with the present invention andconfigured for elastically joinder with the female and male sidelapmember 10C.

FIG. 22 is an assembled, elastically seamed standing seam assembly 16Chaving the clip member 18C hooked over a male sidelap 14C joined withthe female sidelap 10C to form the completed seam. As used herein, theterm “elastically seamed” is a term of art referring to a standing seamassembly that has been assembled from its component parts withoutadditional forming as provided by a seaming tool/machine; this iscontrasted to a the term “inelastically seamed” which refers to astanding seam assembly that, after assembly from its component parts, isoperated on by a seaming tool or seaming machine to be formed into itsfinal shape.

The elastically seamed standing seam assembly 16C is assembled byplacing the clip members 18C over the male sidelap 14C, following whichthe female sidelap 10C is placed over the members 18C and the malesidelap 14C. The application of a vertical force to the top of thefemale sidelap 10C will cause the female second leg member 52 to beforced away from female first leg member 50 within the elastic range ofthe material of the female sidelap 10 until the female fourth leg member60 passes by the distal end of the male second leg 72, allowing thestresses induced as the female second leg member 52 was forced openduring seaming to be released; this results in compression of thesealant 40 along the upper sealant chamber 46 through the clip sealantflow holes 38 and along the lower sealant chamber 42 in a similar manoras described for the inelastic seaming described above.

FIGS. 23 through 26 illustrate the typical, state of the art elasticseam and panel clip. As a convenience to the reader, and to facilitateunderstanding, identical component numbers are depicted therein wherethe component parts are the same or similar to those described hereinabove for the standing seam assembly 16. FIG. 23 is an elevational endview of a female sidelap 10P representing one type of a state of the artseam having sealant 40 adhered to its underside. FIG. 24 is across-sectional, elevational end view of a typical prior art clip member18P for assembly with the female sidelap 10P.

FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional, elevational end view of the initialjoinder of the female sidelap 10P and clip member 18P with a malesidelap 14P configured to form therewith a prior art standing seamassembly 16P. FIG. 26 depicts the standing seam assembly 16P followingseaming via a conventional seaming tool or seaming machine. A bead ofsealant 40 and a bead of sealant 40 are adhered to the undersides of thefemale sidelap 10P and the clip member 18P, respectively, the sealants40, 40A being positioned to merge when the standing seam assembly 16P isassembled.

As the panel sidelaps 10P, 14P are seamed, the seaming process resultsin compression of the sealant 40 between the underside of the femalesecond leg member 52 and the top of male second leg member 72 to form awater resistant dam between clip members 18 at each clip member 18. Thesealant 40 is compressed between the underside of the female second legmember 52 and the top of clip second leg member 24. The clip sealant 40Ais adhered to the underside of the clip second leg member 24 inalignment with the position of the sealant 40 in the female sidelap.

It should be remembered that the clip members 18P in a typicalinstallation are about 30 to 50 inches apart. As the seaming machineforms the standing seam assembly 16P, the resulting shape being thatdepicted in FIG. 26, the sealants 40, 40A are excessively compressed ateach clip because of the additional thickness that the clip members 18impart between the male and female sidelaps 14P, 10P at the cliplocations. As is frequently the case, this excessive compression forcessealant to flow around the panel and clip elements, reducing theeffectiveness of the seal.

FIGS. 37 through 30 illustrate an alternate adaptation of the presentinvention utilizing only one sealant chamber and incorporating sealantboth on the underside of the female sidelap and the clip member. Asabove, identical component numbers are utilized where the componentparts are the same or similar to those described herein above for thestanding seam assembly 16. FIG. 37 is an elevational end view of afemale sidelap member 10D constructed in accordance with the presentinvention and having a sealant 40 adhered to its underside and locatedto accommodate the one sealant chamber adaptation of the presentinvention.

FIG. 28 is a cross-sectional, elevational end view of a clip member 18Dadapted for the one sealant chamber with sealant 40A located on itsunderside. FIG. 29 depicts the joinder of the female sidelap 10D andclip member 18D with a male sidelap 14D configured for forming therewitha standing seam assembly 16D, shown in FIG. 29 prior to inelasticseaming by a seaming tool or seaming machine. FIG. 30 is a view of thestanding seam assembly 16D after the seaming operation has formed itinto its final shape at the clip locations.

The present invention, as illustrated in FIGS. 37 through 30, greatlyimproves the seal around the clip members 18D by forming a partiallyprotected sealant upper chamber 46 between the underside of femalesecond leg member 52, and the clip second leg member 24, the clipintermediate radius portion 30 clip, the second inclined portion 36 andthe clip apex radius portion 26. The upper sealant chamber 46 assuresthat the sealant 40 will not flow away from its desired position overthe clip sealant 40A when compressed in the seaming operation. Further,the clip sealant 40A is prevented from over compression because it iscontained in the lower sealant chamber 42 formed by the clip apex radiusportion 26 and the clip second leg member 24 over the male second legmember 72.

FIGS. 31 and 32 show another embodiment of the present invention. Clipsealant flow holes 38 are provided in the clip member clip firstinclined portion 36 to permit and facilitate the merging of the sealant40 with the sealant 40A above and below the clip members 18E. FIG. 32shows the seamed standing seam assembly 16E and depicts thecommunication between the upper and lower sealant chambers 46, 42 viathe sealant flow holes 38 in the clip member 18E, providing the benefitsof the present invention as discussed and described above for thestanding seam assembly 16.

It is clear that the present invention is well adapted to carry out theobjects and to attain the ends and advantages mentioned as well as thoseinherent therein. While presently preferred embodiments of the inventionhave been described for purposes of this disclosure, numerous changesmay be made which will readily suggest themselves to those skilled inthe art and which are encompassed within the spirit of the inventiondisclosed and as defined in the appended claims.

1. In a standing seam roof assembly in which roof panels are supportedby underlying support structure in overlapping edge relationship to forma standing seam assembly, the improvement comprising: a male sidelapextending from a panel and having a male leg member; a female sidelapextending from a second panel, the female sidelap having a female legmember shaped to fit over the male leg member; sealant supported by oneof the female leg member and the male leg member; and clip means forconnecting the male and female sidelaps to the support structure, theclip means forming an upper sealant chamber and a lower sealant chamber,the sealant disposed in the upper and lower sealant chambers in theassembled mode and encapsulating a portion of the clip means, the clipmeans having a clip tab shaped to engage and be retained with the maleleg member and the female leg member in the assembled mode, the clip tabhaving a clip inclined portion cooperating with the male and female legmembers to form the upper and lower sealant chambers, the clip inclinedportion having a sealant flow hole communicating between the upper andlower sealant chambers, the clip tab having a clip dimple portionsupporting one end of the clip inclined portion; and wherein the sealantis supported by the female leg member to align with the upper sealantchamber of the inclined portion of the clip tab in the assembled mode,the sealant caused to partially extrude through the sealant flow holefrom the upper sealant chamber to the lower sealant chamber whileassuming the assembled mode and a portion of the sealant in the upperand lower sealant chambers caused to flow around the edges of the cliptab.
 2. The standing seam assembly of claim 1 wherein the clip tab hasclip end edges, and wherein the clip inclined portion has a clip endnotch in at least one of the clip end edges.
 3. The standing seamassembly of claim 2 wherein the clip end notch is tapered.
 4. Thestanding seam assembly of claim 3 wherein the clip end notch is coinedto be smooth and substantially burr free.
 5. The standing seam assemblyof claim 4 wherein the clip means comprises: a clip body; a clip baseslidably supporting the clip body.
 6. The standing seam assembly ofclaim 5 wherein the clip body has a groove forming connector, and wherethe base has a clip retaining tongue disposed to be received in thegroove forming connector whereby the clip body is permitted to sliderelative to the clip base.
 7. The standing seam assembly of claim 6wherein the clip base further comprises: stop means for limiting thesliding movement of the clip body along the clip base.
 8. The standingseam assembly of claim 7 wherein the clip base has a plurality ofbearing feet spaced to support the clip base on the underlying supportstructure.
 9. In a standing seam roof assembly in which roof panels aresupported by underlying support structure in overlapping edgerelationship to form a standing seam assembly, the improvementcomprising: a male sidelap extending from a panel and having a male legmember; a female sidelap extending from a second panel, the femalesidelap having a female leg member shaped to fit over the male legmember; a sealant; and clip means for connecting the male and femalesidelaps to the support structure, the clip means having a clip tabshaped to engage and be retained with the male leg member and the femaleleg member in the assembled mode, the clip tab having a clip inclinedportion on the clip tab and cooperating with the male leg member and thefemale leg member to form a lower sealant chamber and an upper sealantchamber, the female leg having a clip dimple portion supporting one endof the clip inclined portion, the clip inclined portion having a sealantflow hole communicating between the upper sealant chamber and the lowersealant chamber, the sealant supported by the female leg member to alignwith the upper sealant chamber in the assembled mode, the sealantpartially extruded from the upper sealant chamber to the lower sealantchamber to encapsulate a portion of the clip tab while assuming theassembled mode, a portion of the sealant caused to flow around the edgesof the clip tab.
 10. The standing seam assembly of claim 9 wherein theclip tab has clip end edges, and wherein the clip inclined portion has aclip end notch in at least one of the clip end edges.
 11. The standingseam assembly of claim 10 wherein each clip end notch is tapered. 12.The standing seam assembly of claim 11 wherein each clip end notch iscoined to be smooth and substantially burr free.
 13. The standing seamassembly of claim 12 wherein the clip means comprises: a clip body; aclip base slidably supporting the clip body.
 14. The standing seamassembly of claim 13 wherein the clip body has a groove formingconnector, and where the base has a clip retaining tongue disposed to bereceived in the groove forming connector whereby the clip body ispermitted to slide relative to the clip base.
 15. The standing seamassembly of claim 14 wherein the clip base further comprises: stop meansfor limiting the sliding movement of the clip body along the clip base.16. The standing seam assembly of claim 15 wherein the clip base has aplurality of bearing feet spaced to support the clip base on theunderlying support structure.
 17. The standing seam assembly of claim 16wherein the clip tab has clip end edges, and wherein the clip inclinedportion has a clip end notch in at least one of the clip end edges. 18.The standing seam assembly of claim 17 wherein each clip end notch istapered.
 19. The standing seam assembly of claim 18 wherein each clipend notch is coined to be smooth and substantially burr free.
 20. Thestanding seam assembly of claim 19 wherein the clip means comprises: aclip body; a clip base slidably supporting the clip body.
 21. Thestanding seam assembly of claim 20 wherein the clip body has a grooveforming connector, and where the base has a clip retaining tonguedisposed to be received in the groove forming connector whereby the clipbody is permitted to slide relative to the clip base.
 22. The standingseam assembly of claim 21 wherein the clip base further comprises stopmeans for limiting the sliding movement of the clip body along the clipbase.
 23. In a standing seam roof assembly in which roof panels aresupported by underlying support structure in overlapping edgerelationship to form a standing seam assembly, the improvementcomprising: a male sidelap extending from a panel and having a male legmember; a female sidelap extending from a second panel, the femalesidelap having a female leg member shaped to fit over the male legmember; sealant supported by one of the female leg member and the maleleg member; and clip means for connecting the male and female sidelapsto the support structure, the clip means forming an upper sealantchamber and a lower sealant chamber, the sealant disposed in the upperand lower sealant chambers in the assembled mode and encapsulating aportion of the clip means, the clip means having a clip tab shaped toengage and be retained with the male leg member and the female legmember in the assembled mode, the clip tab having a clip inclinedportion cooperating with the male and female leg members so that theclip inclined portion forms the upper and lower sealant chambers, theclip inclined portion having a sealant flow hole.